the "Ten Day Restoration"
owner: Joe G.
last names not mentioned to protect everyone.
click on photo's to enlarge
57 Ford before
After several thoughts about getting the body work and
a paint job on his 57 Ford, and getting numerous empty offers to
do the work. Joe was approached by friend and neighbor who
we will refer to as Walt and was told he could fix the car
up and make it look a whole lot better, but he only had two weeks
to perform this task. Walt had to leave to travel to his North
Carolina home where he summers.
The car was in pretty bad shape compared to the other older cars at the drag strip. Walt called the car the "Fugitive" from the scrap yard, I called it the "Ark" Although the car was great mechanically and runs in the 12's, (13.1) Joes brother Ronnie G., who with his excellent motor skills put together this fine running motor & all suspension work. It took most of Ronnie's vacation time to put the right combo of speed parts to get this "Ark" car to run that fast. Off the line this car pulled some wild hole shots which surprised many people. Joe knew the body was in pretty tough shape.
The side moldings had been removed and left over 59 holes just in the passenger side front fender alone, mostly bullet holes, this car was found in a Miami yard. Rust on the front of the roof and above the drivers side window.
days 1 - 5
Joe always complained to his crew to keep duck tape( we referred to the duck tape as chrome here in Florida) over the holes because he said it made a whistling noise while he was running down the track and air would blow into his hair and face.
The roof over the drivers side was rotted through and an area between the windshield and roof also in need of serious fixing. Both rocker panels needed replacement, quarter panels rotted through, drivers door in need of new sheet metal. Passenger door covered with bondo. We now know why the magnetic sign wouldn't stick on the door. Days 1 - 5 made up of mostly grind, fill and sand, grind, fill and sand, grind. fill and sand. The other workers on this ten day redo crew included Joe's brother Ronnie G. who lives out of state, would call everyday for an update on the progress of work, not to mention his input and Jimmy D., Rich C., and Rich S., and of course "Vixen" Joe's faithful dog, who slept in the car during all the noise of this project.
days 6 - 8
Day
6 through 8 consisted of finding faults. Filling, wet
sanding. If your really quite, you can still hear Walt calling the
car the "Fugitive". and telling us the more water the better,
more water, more water. I hate to say it but he was right. I was only
allowed one sheet of paper per day. One grinding disk per side. Keep in
mind a grinding wheel disk cost $1.25. We were
not on a budget, but Terry was getting tired of running to the
hardware store for supplies, one sheet at a time.
day 9
Finally some primer. More checking for dings and dents.
Day 10
Painted
Congratulations are in store to Joe after his recent trip to the 2003 Ford Expo at National Trail Raceway, Columbus, Ohio.
Joe and our beautiful 57 Ford brought home an impressive (4) four plaques.
Read the whole story with photos at:
http://www.57fordsinternational.com/
1957 ford After
Finishing up the trim
There you have what we refer to as
the "Ten Day Restoration"
It was amazing, that after ten days, a few hundred dollars, some elbow grease, sweat, Joe's S.A.R.'S like symptoms ( two days Joe had to take to his bed ill, again ) leaving us healthy guys to do most of the work and a bunch of friends who had a whole lot of fun and laughs. The car looks great, might not be perfect in some skeptics eyes, but it will turn your head. And after all the new paint and new graphics, will it run in the 12's? ( maybe, maybe not?) It will though, take a few guys back in time. Joe is busy looking for some graphics and lettering to finish the car. I'll put a photo of the car online when the graphics are on.
Look for it at Orlando Drag strip or Moroso Motor park soon!
The Lettering is being applied by the
great folks at:
If your looking for quality Lettering & Graphics, you don't have to look any further. Got a question? Looking for a particular graphic? Check here.
The finished project!
any questions? Comments?
The Brothers Two:
Joe 
Ronnie